This little gem of a wine is a botrytised chardonnay, and it is oh so luscious.

The bright, golden coloured, slightly viscous liquid smells like chardonnay with oak, peach and apricot aromas emitting from the glass. But it tastes so deliciously sweet with the intense apricot flavours of the botrytised grapes filling the mouth along with oak and nutty lees flavours. It's texture is far more viscous than it looks and good acid, that gives an initial zing, balances the sweetness perfectly - the finish doesn't seems as sweet as first thought but perhaps it is, as flavours of sweet dried apricots linger well. There's a good dollop of beeswax and honeysuckle and grapey musk flavours emerge too.

The wine has been made in the style of Sauternes, so it was fermented in oak and stayed there for two and a half years, hence the oaky characters so apparent in the wine.

I thought the ideal match was apple and apricot strudel - made from reconstituted dried apricots and decorated with fancy sliced almonds before baking. When cooked, coat with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve with a portion of panna cotta (baked clotted cream). The wine would also be delicious with panna cotta and poached figs - here in NZ we will have to wait until the fig season in March so at this time of the year try panna cotta and preserved stonefruits.

Finale has a wonderfully long finish, so when you indulge in a glass of this wine at the end of dinner, or perhaps after dinner with fresh and dried fruits and blue cheese, this is one time you will not want to brush your teeth before you go to bed. The beautiful lingering flavour of this botrytised chardonnay should not be destroyed by toothpaste.

Pegasus Bay writes of this wine in their newsletter - "The only strict requirements are that it has to be drunk by candlelight and consenting adults."

The 375ml bottle of 11.5 % alcohol wine has a recommended retail price in New Zealand of $34.20.

Read more about Pegasus Bay at www.pegasusbay.com.

© Sue Courtney